Finding the Green within the Grey

No time like the present

Why not join a movement after its apex? I’ve thought of 21 reasons not to blog. Meanwhile, it’s a normal part of conversation to say, “Oh, yeah, I have a blog. Like, of course, I update every Tuesday, don’t you?”

Perhaps I picked this Wednesday to start because I am tired of checking my favorite blogs to see if they have new updates. Maybe it’s because my ancient 7-year-old points out my computer addiction at least once a day. Probably it’s because my youngest turns 5 today and my husband laughed when I gave her a butterfly mobile for a gift. As in, she isn’t a baby, so why did you give her a present perfect for a newborn?

Wait, I have an answer for that question. It’s guilt. It’s the remodel. It’s Pottery Barn envy. Why else were KK and I roaming the pricey outdoor mall the day after Christmas? I could blame it on the “birthday right after Xmas syndrome.” You know, what could any person possibly need right after Giftfest 2009?

The truth is, I never decorated the girls bedrooms in typical baby fashion. I rebelled against all that. KK got a room decorated with Northwest Bookfest posters, exactly how I would have wanted my room decorated when I was a baby. You know, if I could go back and relive my first few years. Annie’s corner of the tiny room was decorated in anti-attachment parenting fashion, as in, here’s a crib, welcome to the planet. Because we planned on sleeping during your babyhood.

So we’ve slipped into the next stage just as I have mastered spoon-feeding a 4-year-old. Wait, both girls can dress themselves, let’s pick out the one item I can afford at Pottery Barn. It’s on sale, and we are remodeling the house. We are comfortably trapped at the mother-in-law’s giant house, dreaming of moving home. It will be decorated perfectly. Or at least with the help of a professional decorator. KK swore anyone would love this mobile, at least if they aren’t a boy. So here’s your birthday present, baby girl. And your first mention on mama’s new website. Welcome to year five. May it be your best year yet.

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Nancy Schatz Alton

I used to ride the playground ponies — painted metal creature swings behind my childhood home — and dream of a book with my name on it: Nancy Schatz. Years later, I walked that same playground and young girl asked me my age. Maybe I was 19. Shocked, she asked if I was married. Nope, not yet, I laughed in reply.

Now I’m married and my body’s pretty close to being 50 years old. My first dream came true with one minor adjustment. The name on the cover of those books is “Nancy Schatz Alton.” I think it took writing these two holistic healthcare guides — The Healthy Back Book and The Healthy Knees Book — to believe I really am a writer. But I’ve been a writer before I could pencil the alphabet on the itchy lined paper in Kindergarten. It’s just who I am.

I wear many other definitions. I’m lucky enough to be a mom to a teenager and a tween. I’m a freelance writer, editor and writing teacher and coach, too. I’m a baker and a short-order cook, an off-key singer and car dancer. I’m a former long distance runner, an avid reader and a lover of color. I’m also a spy, because writers are spies, right?

This blog was born a few years ago when I finally got tired of denying myself the privilege of having a blog. I love sharing my words, and if these thoughts can help someone else, even better. As this blog has evolved, some of what I have written is part of a memoir manuscript entitled “But Still and Yet: Navigating the Learning Differences World with My Daughter.” That’s the tale of being and becoming a mother. No, it’s not the story of my first child’s birth and how I stepped into this new role, although there are many fine books about this very topic. This memoir is about learning to embrace the idea that life doesn’t always get to be easy for our offspring. If you aren’t a parent, the journey I take is the same journey all humans take during this lifetime. This memoir answers this question: how do we crack ourselves open to become our best possible selves?

Boom. Enjoy my blog. Say hello via a comment if you have can. And Welcome to Within The Words, Finding the Green within the Grey,.

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